Renovation in the Bush

I had a busy weekend. Chodort was doing a quick renovation on a container computer lab in Chikanta, a 3 hour drive from Choma. We had converted it into a classroom two years ago, but some termites had made themselves at home inside the wall panels and the school asked for some help. Our initial estimate was a bit low--the damage was greater than we thought. So I found myself leaving early on Friday morning with three other guys to join the two that had already been there since Monday. We took more timber, paint, tools, and food.

When we arrived in the afternoon we found the container gutted, the brandering (studs) replaced, and the original particle board panels going back on. We got right to work and worked into the night--we had solar-powered fluorescent lights. No one slept too well that first night--we camped in the container. I suspect the hot still night and the ant poison we had sprayed might have been part of the problem!

Early Saturday morning we went back to work. I had packed some food so I ate a bit, but most of the guys waited until lunch and were getting dizzy with the heat by that time. (A line of women with water buckets on their heads went by as the sun came up. I only managed to get a picture of the last one!)

There was beautiful singing from a nearby chapel as we worked--many of the students are Seventh Day Adventist in this area. We worked hard again all day and managed to make good progress, but unfortunately we had to spend one more night. I was persuaded to take an African bath at the water pump that night, under the stars. It was very refreshing! The other guys took good care of me--they were sensitive to the fact that I'm not used to the water, the food, etc. I felt a bit babied but mostly respected. :) Sleep was slightly better that night except for the paint fumes and a squeaky cabinet door that started swinging with the breeze at 3am. I finally put some cooking oil on the hinges and tied it shut with my handkerchief, but couldn't sleep.

We started work at 6am on Sunday. Our driver, Mr. Banda, made us an excellent breakfast of rice, eggs, tomatoes, and onions. Soon we were installing the desks that we had modified with keyboard trays, and other furniture I had designed such as a battery box cover and a teachers desk made of two student desks.

Around 10:30 we started packing up, and soon started the long, bumpy drive home. Peter and Mr. Banda posed in front of the finished container for a picture.

Not far from the school I took a picture of Peter sitting on an anthill, where there was better phone reception (we had seen someone sitting in the same place previously, talking on their mobile). I am planning to make a mobile carrier ad and send it to the various cellular companies in Zambia.

Overall it was a good experience, though tiring. Some volunteers from Intel were coming the next day with some donated desktop computers, making the computer lab functional for the high school. Aside from some sticky varnish on the desks, everything was ready for them!